Chinook Jargon Phrasebook

Shaw's English-Chinook Reference (I-L)

NB: This page is currently being edited and annotated.  Edited sections show the Chinook Jargon words in italics, with direct translations, comments and annotations in purple.  Purple items in italics within parentheses are direct translations of Chinook words or compounds where such translations are necessary.  Where the words are shown by Shaw with their direct translated meaning, and/or are native or English loan-words that require no further comment, they are omitted from the parentheses.  In other words, if there are several items in Shaw's Chinook translation, only one or two may be translated by way of explanation within the parentheses following.  There are numerous OCR mistakes in unedited sections, and I have left intact idiosyncracies in Shaw's text (or Harper's transcription of it) - double entries, odd capitalizations, the occasional misspelling, etc.   Comments and corrections are welcome.

In working on some parts of the English-Chinook sections of the phrasebook, I have realized the divisions I have made for the Chinook-English sections do not correlate well for an easy-to-use organization for reference from English.  Until that is figured out, I am posting a direct copy of Shaw's English-Chinook Reference (as rendered by Edward Harper Thomas), which is in alphabetical form.  I am intending on having a CGI or Javascript translator system installed here in the future as well.

Shaw's usages here must be understood to reflect the state of English meanings in 1908 (Harper Thomas made no changes in his 1934 reprinting of this reference), as well as the state of the Jargon and Shaw's own context within the frame of reference of the United States and the Jargon as it was spoken there, as well as English ideom of the period.  Shaw's own cultural biases are also often evident, and many of the concepts represented seem to be English-oriented ones that he felt a need to find translations of, rather than actual Jargon usages per se.  I have therefore added comments and annotations to some of the items below, including literal renderings of some of the Chinook phrases provided in translation of English concepts; my additions are given in purple, Shaw's definitions in the regular black.  In time, I will augment this abecediary to the point where it will no longer be a simple reproduction and annotation from Shaw. 

I-nika. Sometimes spelled naika to reflect prononciation.  Some people did pronounce it neeka, however.
ICE-cole chuck. (cold water)   Cole chuck kahkwa stone or cole chuck kahkwa kull would be more specific.
IDEA-tumtum.  (thought, feeling)
IDENTICAL-delate kahkwa. (exactly like)
IDIOT-pelton man.  (crazy man, foolish man)  The older English sense of idiot was not so much pejorative as descriptive of someone who was simple or mentally deficient.
IDLE-cultus mitlite.  (uselessly being, meaningless being-at/waiting/resting)
IF-spose.
IGNITE-mamook piah.  (to make fire)
IGNORANT-halo kumtux; blind kopa tumtum.  (not understanding, understands nothing, blind to thoughts/feelings)
ILL; ILLNESS-sick.
ILLTREAT-mamook mesachie; mamook kahta. (to do evil; to do how)  I am unsure of the context of kahta in the second of Shaw's translations.
IMBIBE-muckamuck. (ingest, eat, drink)
IMITATE-mamook kahkwa.  (to make like, to make same)
IMITATION-kahkwa mamook.  (likeness making, same made, same deed)
IMMATERIAL-cultus.
IMMEASURABLE-halo kumtux kunsih hyas. (not known how much great, nothing/no one knows who much great)
IMMENSE-delate hyas. (really large, truly great)
IMMIGRATE-chako kopa ikt illahee.  (come from one country, come to this country)  Either Shaw intends for the name of a country to be inserted in place of ikt, or the sense of ikt in this context is equivalent to okoke - this.
IMMODEST, IMMORAL-mesachie.  (bad, evil)
IMPATIENCE-halo ticky mitlite.  (to not want to wait, to not want to stay)
IMPERFECT-wake delate. (not right, not straight, not true)
IMPOSSIBLE-wake skookum kopa. (not able to)  The meaning of skookum here is that of capability rather than strength or size.  This phrase is incomplete and requires another verb or other word to give it context.  Impossible! as a single-word reply would simply be wake skookum.
IMPROBABLE-(nika) tumtum yaka halo kahkwa.  (I feel it is not like that, i.e. I feel it not like/as)
IMPROPER-wake kloshe. (not good)
IMPROVE-chako tenas kloshe. (to become little good, i.e. to become better)
IN-kopa.
INABILITY-wake skookum kopa.  (not able to)  The meaning of skookum here is that of capability rather than strength or size.  This phrase is incomplete and requires another verb or other word to give it context.
INASMUCH-kahkwa. (like, as, therefore)
INCITE-mamook waum yaka turntum. (to make warm his/her heart/mind, i.e. to heat up feelings/thoughts)
INCOMPLETE-wake yaka kopet. (not it stop, not it finished)
INDEED-nowitka.
INDEPENDENT-(he is) cultus kopa (yaka) kopa huloima tillikums.  (worthless to he to other people)  The usage here is entirely ideomatic and does not translate so directly. This is one of the many unusual variant meanings/contexts of cultus.  The sense here seems to be that the individual described is unaccountable to any people or person.
INDIAN-siwash.
INDIAN MEDICINE-kelale. I have not seen this word elsewhere.  The closest one resembling it is klale - black.  Usually tamanass (Shaw's tamahnawis) is given for Indian medicine, i.e. magic.
INDIFFERENT-(I am) cultus kopa nika.  (meaningless to me, worthless to me)
INDUCE-(him) mamook haul yaka tumtum.  (to make haul his heart, to pull his mind)
INDULGE-iskum. (take, receive, hold)  Shaw's meaning here must be in reference to forbearance and/or acceptance.
INDUSTRIOUS-kwonesum mamook.  (always works, always doing something)
INEBRIATE-man yaka kwonesum pahtlum; man kwonesum muckamuck whiskey.  (man he always drunk; man always drinks whiskey)  The sense here is as in one who is inebriate, or as a noun.  The verbal version would be mamook konaway pahtlum, mamook konaway pahtl whiskey, or mamook konaway pahtl lum.
INFANT-tenas; chee tenas.  (little one; new little one, i.e. child; new child)
INK-klale chuck kopa mamook tzum. (black water to make marks)
INQUIRE-wawa. (speak, say)  Ask or mamook ask were also used.
INSHORE-mahtwillie.
INSIDE-keekwulee. Inside was also used, especially in compounds and depending on context.
INSPIRE-mamook waum yaka tumtum.  (to make warm his/her heart/mind)
INSTANTLY-hyak. (fast, quick)
INSUFFICIENT-wake hiyu.  (not enough, not many)
INTEND-(I) nika tumtum. (I think/feel, i.e. I mean to)
INTENTION-tumtum.  (thought, feeling, meaning)
INTERCEDE-(you for me) kloshe mika potlatch nika wawa kopa yaka.  (good you give me words to him)  This is in the form of a request and shows the use of the pronouns.  The "raw" form is kloshe potlatch wawa kopa.
INEBRIATE-man yaka kwonesum pahtlum; man yaka kwonesum muckamuck whiskey.  (man he always drunk; man always drinks whiskey)  The sense here is as in one who is inebriate, or as a noun.  The verbal version would be mamook konaway pahtlum, mamook konaway pahtl whiskey, or mamook konaway pahtl lum.
INTERVAL-tenas laly. (little while)  Laly's meaning is indeterminate, adding various qualities to words for time.  Shaw's context here is ideomatic of English of the period, i.e. after an interval - kimtah tenas laly - meaning after a little while.
INTIMATE-kloshe.  (good, nice)  In the context of he is good with him/her.
INVISIBLE-(to you) wake kahta mika nanitch.  (not how you see, i.e. not possible for you to see)
INWARD-keekwulee.
IRON-chikamin. (metal)  Iron was probably the original meaning of chikamin, which later came to mean all metals.
IRRESOLUTE-wake skookum tumtum. (to not strong feel/think)
IRRIGATE-mamook cooley chuck. (to make running water, i.e. to make water run)  Mahsh chuck kopa might better carry the meaning of to water something.
IS-mitlite is sometimes used and sometimes no word is used.  This is Shaw's comment.  Some ideoms where English would use is use other verbs.
ISLAND-ailand; tenas illahee.  (little land)
IT-yaka, yahka.
ITCH-tlihtlih.
ITS-kopa yaka; yakas; yaka.
ITSELF-yaka self.
IVY-stick kahkwa lope.  (tree/plant/wood like rope)

JAIL-skookum house.  (big house, strong house)  The better context here is probably strong house, i.e. a secure building; this term was also used for guardhouses and other fortified structures.  The translation big house has me wondering if a translation from Chinook is the origin of the American English slang term for prisons.
JARGON-(Chinook) Chinook.  This was the most common way to refer to the Jargon, although of course Chinook has other meanings, including the Chinook people and their language as well as a wind and a variety of salmon.  In full, the term would be Chinook wawa - Chinook words - as opposed to Chinook lalang, which would have referred to the language of the Chinook people.
JEALOUS-sick tumtum.  (to feel sick, sick feelings/thoughts)  Sick tumtum has many uses; the sense of jealousy would have to be known from context, or by the addition of explicatory words.
JERK-hyas mamook haul. (Quick make haul.)  The translation is Shaw's; I think this must be a mispring, with hyak meant instead of hyas.  As given, it would more mean a really big pull, rather than a short sharp one.
JERKED BEEF-moosmoos itlwillie chako dly. (cattle flesh become dry)  Of course, jerky made from other meats would substitute the name for the animal in question in the position of moosmoos.
JEST-cultus wawa.  (worthless words, idle words, harmless words)  Cultus hee-hee was also used.
JOB-mamook.  (do, make, work, deed, activity)
JOIN-chako kunamokst. (come together, become both)
JOKE-(n.) cultus wawa.  (worthless words, idle words, harmless words)  Cultus hee-hee was also used.
JOKE-(v.) mamook heehee.  (to make a joke, to make laugh)
JOLLY-heehee tumtum.  (laughter feeling, laughing thought, to feel laughter)  Klee - glee - and klee tumtum - to feel glee - were also used.
JOURNEY-cooley.  (run)  Shaw must mean this in a verbal sense, although I do not know why he does not also cite klatawa - to go.  I cannot think of what would suffice as a noun, as in the journey from here to there or how was your journey?.  It is true, however, that run in English can often refer to a trip - as in the run from A to B.
JOY, JOYFUL- youtl tumtum.  (to feel glad, to feel proud, proud feeling)  Klee tumtum - happy feeling - would also have been used.
JUDGE-tyee kopa court.  (chief of the court, lord of the court)  In some areas, judge or chutch was simply used.
JUG-stone lapooti.  (stone bottle)  The kind of jug referred to here must be a ceramic container with a stopper, as used for rum or mercury.  A water jug is more likely to be tamolitsh or ketling.
JUICE-olallie chuck. (berry water, fruit water)
JUMP, TO-sopena.  Another form of this word was sopen, although this may have meant a jump rather than to jump.
JUST-delate.  (true, correct, straight) Shaw's meaning here is of justice or righteousness or correctness; just in the sense of only would be kopet.  A translation of just barely would depend on context - kopet elip, perhaps.

KAMASS ROOT-lakamass.  Or simply camas.
KETTLE-ketling.
KEY-lekleh.
KICK, TO-mamook kokshut; chukkin.  (to make a strike/blow)
KILL-mamook memaloose.  (to make dead)  It is also likely that kill, like other common English words, might also have been used in Jargon speech.
KIND-kloshe. (nice, good)
KINDRED-tillikums. (people)
KISS-bebe.  Bebe could also mean baby; bebe lapush or bebe seeohwist would be more specific, although probably unnecessary.
KITTEN-tenas pishpish.  (little cat, young cat)  This is a Puget Sound rendering; more common would have been tenas puss-puss.
KNEEL-mamook kahkwa (showing how).  (i.e. do it like this, do the same)
KNIFE-opitsah.
KNIT-mamook stocken. (to make stockings)  This would vary on the garment being made, i.e. mamook sweatah, mamook cowichan - knit a sweater, knit a cowichan sweater.  Well-knit - kloshe mamook; knit rope, i.e. splice ropes - mamook kunamokst lope.
KNOT-lemah; lemah kopa stick. (hand, hand on wood/tree)  What might be being referred to here is the appearance of the node of a knot on a tree or plank.  To knot something might better be mamook kopa lemah, although the specific meaning of a knot, as on a rope, would still not be described.
KNOCK. TO-koko, mamook kokshut; mamook kahkwa (showing how).  (to strike; do it like this, do the same)
KNOTTY-hunlkih; hiyu lemah. (many hands)  See knot above.
KNOW, TO; KNOWLEDGE-kumtux.
KNUCKLE-yahkwa kopa lemah (point to it).  (there on the hand)

LABOR-mamook.  (do, make, work, deed, activity)
LACK-wake hiyu.  (not many, not enough)
LADY-klootchman.
LAMB-tenas sheep; tenas lemooto; sheep yaka tenas. (little sheep, young sheep; sheep her young)
LAME-klook teahwit; sick kopa lepee. (crooked leg; sick in the foot)
LAMENT-cly tumtum. (cry feelings, feel like crying)  Mamook cly kopa would also be used, especially in the sense of to lament something.
LAND-illahee.
LANDLORD-tyee.  (chief, lord)  Tyee was used for any important personage or someone of higher rank or position.
LAND OTTER-inamooks.  Another word for land otter was nenamooks, unless Shaw here means a weasel, marten, mink or similar otter-like animal.
LANE-ooahut.
LANGUAGE-la lang.  Wawa was also used, especially in the case of the Jargon itself.  Nonetheless the formations Kingchauch wawa, Boston wawa, Kanaka wawa and Chinaman wawa were as common as Kingchauch lalang, Boston lalang, Kanaka lalang, and Chinaman lalang - if not moreso.  Lalang would certainly have been preferred to describe language as a stand-alone concept; it also meant the tongue.
LARD-cosho glease.  (pig grease, pig fat)  This term would of course vary depending on the animal that was the source of the lard.
LARGE-hyas.  Skookum might also be used, depending on the object and the context.
LARK-tenas kalakala. (little bird)
LAST-delate kimta; kimta kopa konoway.  (right behind, truly behind; behind everything)
LATELY-chee; tenas ahnkuttie. (new, newly; little past)
LAUGH-heehee; mamook heehee.
LAUGHTER-heehee.
LAUNCH-mahsh boat, ship kopa chuck.  (put out the boat, ship on the water)  Shaw here means that either boat or ship would be used in this phrase.  Canim would also be used the same way.
LAWN-kloshe tupso illahee.  (good grass land)  Also used for pasture or field.
LAY-mahsh. (to put, to place)
LAZY-lazy.
LEAD-(n.) kalitan.  Here Shaw is referring to shot-lead, as in bullets.  Lead as a metal might be kalitan chikamin.
LEAD-(v.) mamook cooley.  (to make run)  Shaw seems to mean this in the military or hunting sense; another usage might be klatawa elip - go before, go first.
LEADER-tyee.  (chief, lord)  Tyee was used for any important personage or someone of higher rank or position.
LEAN-(adj.) halo glease. (without fat)  The reference here seems to be to meat, rather than to physical conditioning as in the modern use of the word.
LEAN-(v.) lagh.
LEAP, TO-sopena.  Another form of this word was sopen, although this may have meant a leap rather than to leap.
LEARN-iskum kumtux; kumtux. (to take or receive knowledge/understanding; to know or to understand)
LEARNED-kumtux hiyu.  (knows much, knows a lot, lots of knowledge)
LEAST-elip tenas kopa konaway.  (more little than everything)
LEATHER-skin; dly skin.  (hide; dried hide)  Lapel might also be used, but more referred to pelts and furs.  It is interesting that a loan-word was not derived from the French le cuir.
LEAVE-(v.) mahsh; klatawa.  (to depart, to exit; to go)
LEAVE OFF, TO-kopet. (to stop, to halt)
LECTURE-wawa.  (to talk, speech, words)
LEG-teahwhit; lepee.
LEGAL-kloshe kopa law. (good to the law, good by law)
LEGEND-wawa; wake delate wawa.  (words, stories; not straight/true words, stories)  the grander connotations of English legend are not conveyed well here.  A qualifying phrase such as hyas wawa, pe wake delate wawa - big tale, but not a true tale - might serve the purpose of a tall tale or mythological legend.
LEGGINGS-mitass.
LEGISLATURE-tyee man klaska mamook law.  (chief man they make law)  Tyee man here is a plural, as clarified by the pronoun.  Hyas house - great house, mighty house - or tyee house - chief house - were sometimes used in British Columbia, and might also refer to Government House, the residence of the royal representative.
LEND, TO-ayahwhul; ticky owe.  (want to owe)  Ticky owe appears to be in the context of a request - please lend to me.
LENT-(n.) lekalem; ole time. (old time)  Lekalem appears to be of French origin, but I do not know the reference.  Ole time must simply be ideomatic, somehow alluding to the self-deprivation of the Lenten season.
LESS-tenas.
LETTER-papah. The spelling pepah is more common.
LEVEL-konaway kahkwa; flat. (everything the same; flat)  The English ideom on the level would be expressed by something like delate wawa or delate tumtum - straight words, thoughts, intent.
LIAR-yaka kumtux wawa kliminawhit. (he knows words to lie)  Another expression was hyas yaka kumtux kliminawhit - he knows well how to lie - but often kliminawhit would be used by itself to mean both lie and liar.
LIBERAL-kloshe kopa cultus potlatch. (good with free gifts,  i.e. someone who gives a way a lot without thought of return)  The concept here is not political, but rather of personality.
LICK, TO-(v.) klakwun.
LICE-inapoo.
LIE-(n.) kliminawhit wawa. (lie words, liar's words, "smooth talk")
LIE-(v.) wawa kliminawhit. (to speak lies)
LIE DOWN-mitlite. (be, rest, stay)
LIGHT-(not heavy) halo till; wake till. (not heavy, not tiring)
LIGHT-(not dark) halo polaklie. (not dark, no darkness)  Towagh or kahkwa towagh - shining or like shining - might also be used, as would light by itself.
LIGHTNING-saghalie piah. (above fire, fire from above)
LIKE-(adj.) kahkwa.
LIKE-(v.) ticky. (want, desire)
LIMB-lemah; stick yaka lemah.  (hand, arm; tree his arm, tree his hand)
LINGER-mitlite; halo chako.  (to rest, to be, to stay; not coming)  The latter would seem to be in reference to someone who is awaited.  The former might also occur as cultus mitlite - idling or staying pointlessly.
LINGUIST-yaka kumtux hiyu lalang. (he/she knows many tongues/languages)
LINIMENT-lametsin kopa skin; optlah.  (medicine for the skin)  Optlah appears to be a particular substance in use as a liniment.
LIPS-lapush (point to them).  Shaw indicates it is necessary to point to the lips when saying lapush, because this word means the mouth.  It is surprising that the French word les levres was not borrowed, perhaps in the form lelep or lelef.
LISP-wake delate wawa. (not straight talking, not correctly talking)  Only context would distinguish this usage from the other meaning of wake delate wawa - a fable or legend, not the straight truth.
LISTEN- hah; nanitch. Nanitch actually means look!  Potlatch kwolann kopa - give ear to - or iskum kwolann kopa - take/receive ear from - would be more appropriate as a regular verb instead of as an imperative, which seems to be Shaw's context here.  Hah is an interjection; please see Interjections & Exclamations.
LITTLE-tenas.
LIVE-(adj.) halo memaloose  (not dead)  Iskum wind - has breath - carries the same meaning.
LIVE-(v.) mitlite. (to be, to stay at)  The meaning here is to be in residence, or simply to be.  To be alive would be iskum wind or mitlite wind - has breath or is breathing.
LODGE-(n.) tenas house; siwash house.  (little house, Indian house)  By tenas house, Shaw means a cabin or rustic dwelling; Indian houses were commonly referred to as lodges.
LOFTY-Saghalie. (above, high up)
LOGGING CAMP-stick house. (tree house, wood house)
LONELY-kopet ikt. (but one, only one)
LONG-youtlkut. i.e. in dimension.  This word is very similar to youtl - proud or glad - and I do not know if there is a connection, which may be cultural.
LONG AGO-ahnkuttie. Laly ahnkuttie, hyas ahnkuttie - very long ago, ancient times.
LOOK, TO-nanitch; nah.  The verb to look here is nanitch, which also means to see; nah is an interjection or imperative.  See Interjections & Exclamations.
LOOK AROUND-cultus nanitch. Shaw does not mean to inspect in all directions, but rather to look idly around, to sight-see.
LOOK HERE!-nah.  See Interjections & Exclamations.
LOOK OUT-kloshe nanitch.  (watch well)  This refers to guarding or being a sentry, and may be used as an imperative.  It does not refer to a look-out, as in a watching place, which might better be kah yaka nanitch (where one watches).  A look-out as in a sentry or one who watches would be man yaka nanitch or yaka klasksta nanitch.
LOOKING GLASS-shelokum.
LOOSE-(v.) stoh; mahsh kow.  (to release a tying, to let go of something tied up)
LOUSE-inapoo.
LOSE THE WAY- tsolo, tseepie ooahut. (to mistake the road/way)
LOVE, TO-Ticky.  (like, want, desire)  Hyas ticky would be more emphatic, as would kloshe tumtum (kopa) maika/yaka or hyas kloshe tumtum (kopa) maika/yaka.  Delate ticky also strikes me as a possibility.
LOW-keekwulee. (below, beneath)
LOWER-(adj.) Elip keekwulee.  (more low, more beneath)
LOWER-(v.) mamook keekwulee.  Mahsh keekwulee - put below, throw below - is also possible, depending on the context.
LOWLY-halo ploud tumtum.  (not proud feeling)  Halo hyas - not big, not great, not mighty - seems also possible, especially if speaking of someone's social standing rather than their demeanour or temperament.  Shaw gives halo ploud for humble.and again as there halo youtl or wake youtl would carry the same meaning.
LUKEWARM-tenas lazy; tenas waum.  (little lazy; little warm)  Tenas lazy seems to refer to temperament, i.e. to be lukewarm about something, rather than to temperature, as is the case with tenas waum.  Since mamook waum yaka tumtum means to incite or inspire someone, however, it may be that tenas waum might also refer to temperament, depending on the context.
LUG-lolo. (to lift, to carry)   This is obviously not a wheel-lug or any other meaning of the English lug.
LUMBER-laplash.  (plank, floorboards)  Laplash stick would also be a possibility, and is a more general term.
LUNCH-muckamuck.  (eat, drink, food, dinner, meal)